The Rule of Three

Stability begins at three. You find this in the three quarks that must bind together to form every proton and neutron in the universe, and in the red, green, and blue pixels that compose the digital images before you. It is the same logic that balances a government through its three branches or a Negroni through its three ingredients. A system with two parts is merely a connection, but a system with three is a structure.

We built our Naco ICR coating on this principle of structural completeness to solve the fundamental conflict in fuel cells and electrolyzers: the need for a material to be both highly conductive and chemically inert. By stacking metallic, ceramic, and nanostructured layers, we created a shield that has already passed the 10000-hour mark with essentially no change in properties, outperforming six major industry competitors. This is not a simple surface treatment; it is a three-part system designed to survive the harsh internal environment of an electrochemical reactor.

Each layer performs a specific, necessary function. The top nanostructured layer stabilizes the electrical connection, holding the interfacial contact resistance at 1 mΩ·cm² through the entire life of the component. The middle ceramic layer acts as a chemical wall, stopping hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion — keeping the iron ion elution rate at a negligible level of 10^-11 mol/cm²∙h while maintaining a corrosion current below 0.1 µA/cm². The metallic base layer diffuses into the substrate to ensure absolute adhesion and prevent pitting.

We originally developed this coating for PEM fuel cell bipolar plates, enabling standard stainless steel to perform like a noble metal. It provides the necessary conductivity and protection without the need for expensive materials. This same three-layer logic is equally effective for the cathode side of PEM electrolyzers. It creates a dedicated barrier that stops hydrogen from diffusing into the metal while keeping the electrical contact stable through thousands of hours of operation.

While the internal structure is complex, the manufacturing process is not. Naco’s proprietary High-speed Magnetron Sputtering allows us to coat a component in minutes. Our high-output production line in Riga is currently capable of producing 80 000 m² of coated components annually, proving that high-performance nanoscale engineering can be delivered at a commercial scale and low cost.